HIFF 2013 Awards

Awards for the 21st Annual Hamptons International Film Festival were announced on October 14, 2013, at the Golden Starfish Awards ceremony in East Hampton.

“This year’s GSA competition line-up of incredible narrative, documentary and short films portray the enormity of global talent awaiting discovery,” said Anne Chaisson, Executive Director of The Hamptons International Film Festival. “We are so proud to have showcased such unique and varied visions to our audiences.”

“We are pleased to have showcased an incredible array of films this year with the range and depth of subject matters and craft,” said Artistic Director David Nugent. “These winners truly reflect the festival’s mission to present some of the best films of the year and we are proud to share them with our audiences.”

Golden Starfish Awards

Our Golden Starfish Awards honor emerging directors from around the world in narrative feature, documentary feature, and short film competition sections. Juried by world-class filmmakers and industry professionals, these competitions represent the important, provocative premieres by cinema’s next wave of master filmmakers.

The Selfish Giant

Narrative Competition

The Golden Starfish Award for Best Narrative Feature Film goes to The Selfish Giant, directed by Clio Barnard. The award is accompanied by an $145,000 in-find filmmaking service package and a magnum of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne. The HIFF 2013 Narrative Jury includes Karen Durbin, Alex Karpovsky, and Raul Esparza.

A special jury prize was awarded to the extraordinary performance by Conner Chapman in The Selfish Giant.

Code Black

Documentary Competition

The Golden Starfish Award for Best Documentary Feature Film goes to Code Black, directed by Ryan McGarry, M.D. The award, sponsored by A&E Indie Films, is accompanied by a $3,000 cash prize and a magnum of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne. The HIFF 2013 Narrative Jury includes Daniel Crown, Nancy Gerstman, and Michael Halsband.

Whale Valley

Short Film Competition

The Golden Starfish Award for Best Short Film, which is accompanied by a $1,000 cash prize from Doritos and a magnum of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, is awarded to Whale Valley, directed by Gudmundur A. Gudmundsson. Whale Valley will also qualify for an Academy Award® in the category of Best Live Action Short Film.

A special jury prize is awarded to the ensemble cast of Kush.

Audience Awards

Throughout the Festival, audiences were asked to vote for their favorites in the documentary, narrative, and short film categories.

Philomena

Narrative Feature

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature goes to Philomena, directed by Stephen Frears.

Desert Runners

Documentary Feature

The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature goes to Desert Runners, directed by Jennifer Steinman.

One Last Hug (… and a Few Smooches) Three Days at Grief Camp

Short Film

The Audience Award for Best Short Film goes to One Last Hug (… and a Few Smooches) Three Days at Grief Camp.

Zelda Penzel “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” Award

Emptying the Skies

The Zelda Penzel “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” Award is presented to a film raising awareness about the moral and ethical treatment and the rights of animals that inspires compassion and compels social change. Dedicated to those who suffer in silence. The 2013 award, including a $1,000 cash prize, is awarded to Emptying the Skies.

Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice

The Square

The Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice is given to a film that most exhibits the values of peace, equality, and global justice. The award, which is accompanied by a cash prize of $1,500, is named In honor of two people who spent their entire lives fighting for those values.

This year’s award goes to The Square, directed by Jehane Noujaim.

Tangerine Entertainment Juice Award

Free Ride

The Tangerine Entertainment Juice Award honors an outstanding female filmmaker with a cash prize of $1,000.

Suffolk County Film Commission Views From Long Island Award

Paula Garces in The Maid’s Room

The Views From Long Island Award is presented by the Suffolk County Film Commission to a a film that features local/resident filmmakers, the area’s unique landscapes, and the important issues—both social and political—facing Hamptons communities.

This year’s award goes to The Maid’s Room, directed by Michael Walker.

Conflict and Resolution Award

Plot For Peace

The 2013 winner of the Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for a film depicting positive Conflict & Resolution goes to Carlos Agullo and Mandy Jacobson for their film Plot For Peace. The award is accompanied by a cash award of $5,000 and an additional award from REACT to FILM, which includes being a part of REACT to FILM’s “Influencer Series” in spring 2014 at a high profile cultural organization, as well as being featured across REACT to FILM’s College Action Network comprised of over 3 dozen campuses nationwide.

For the first time, HIFF will also present an Honorable Mention, and the Brizzolara Family Foundation is bestowing $2,000 to its filmmakers. Congratulations to Jejane Nouhaim for her film The Square.

Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Award

Decoding Annie Parker

The culmination of our outstanding partnership, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and HIFF present the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize to a narrative film highlighting a realistic and compelling portrayal of science and technology. The winner receives a $25,000 cash prize.

“For its searing dramatization of one woman’s personal heroism and another woman’s scientific dedication that led to the groundbreaking 1990 discovery of the bRcA1 gene responsible for many breast and ovarian cancers, and for several exceptional performances, the 2013Alfred P Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival goes to Steven Bernstein’s powerful feature film, Decoding Annie Parker.” — Doron Weber, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.